Southeast shrimp pot areas close July 31, three stay shut for winter

Southeast Alaska shrimp pot fishermen have five days left in eight fishing areas. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game closes Sections 3-B/C, Districts 4, 5, 14, 15-East, 15-Remainder and 16, and Sections 8-A/10-C by regulation at 4 p.m. Friday, July 31.

Three of those areas will not reopen for a fall or winter fishery. Sections 3-B/C and District 14 will stay closed because of poor fishery performance. District 15-East will stay closed because of a low remaining guideline harvest level. Season harvest across all districts stands at 325,300 pounds against a combined guideline harvest level of 386,600 pounds.

Region I shellfish biologist Troy Thynes told the Wrangell Sentinel, regarding an earlier closure of shrimp fishing in Southeast Alaska, "Around Southeast, we've seen declines in shrimp abundance, and this was in response to that."

For commercial shrimp fishermen, the July 31 closures cut the number of fishing days available in the 2026/27 season. Keeping Sections 3-B/C, District 14 and District 15-East shut removes future income from those areas.

Pots may stay in the water until 4 p.m. Friday, August 7, with doors secured open and bait removed. Catcher-processor vessels must report within 72 hours. Shrimp tickets are due within seven days.

Fall and winter openings, potentially including District 4 on October 1, will be announced no later than September 15. By that date, the department says it will have had time to analyze all available harvest and biological data for areas with a remaining guideline harvest level. Areas found to have less than desirable stock health or low remaining quota will not reopen.